Once it was dazzling and pristine, rising on a lonely stretch of highway between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. Now, it lies dormant, its crumbling facades shielding disenchanted locals as effectively as the hordes of Mexican immigrants determined to build lives amidst the ruins.

Against this backdrop, longtime lovers Kenny and Nick cling to each other and to their struggling nightspot, even as deep-pocketed developers hover, armed with plans to rebuild Cathedral City from the ground up.

Meanwhile, their landlord Sam Singer is about to see his real estate investment come to fruition -- but at what price? Sam is torn between loyalty to his tenants and the promise of victory at last -- and perhaps a comeback for his wife, Ruthie, once a glamorous lounge singer.

The only child of wealthy Mexican parents, amiable, educated Pablo Seladon came to the California desert to indulge his passion for the arts -- and for men as virile and beautiful as he is. Now, the young hustler's path becomes intertwined with Nick and Kenny's, and with that of Maria Lourdes Castillo, the sweetly vulnerable Mexican woman they're shielding from the INS. Lastly, there is Inez Quintero, who gave up her privileged life in Mexico to become a hotel maid. She will soon discover that her tireless efforts to help herhusband fulfill his dream of making it in America could cost her her life.

Bound by a common fate, the unforgettable mosaic of characters that make up Cathedral City will touch you with their tragedies and triumphs, remaining with you long after the final page has been turned -- and restoring your faith in the power of the human spirit.